Gratitude Statement

I am grateful for the Grace of Association (Gift of Community), which values the pursuit of Social Perfection as a symbiotic ingredient of Spiritual Growth, and that acknowledges that there are some things that can only be accomplished synergistically.

Inspirational Message

Now humans are social creatures. We are pack animals. This is convenient since our Souls are also social creatures. The Real You does not do well in isolation. We humans require companionship, and we are most creative and productive in partnership.

This need for Community is built into our DNA. And it is a good thing because the survival of Humanity depends on it. You see, it all comes down to whether you enjoy Liberty, or not.

Think this through with me. In order for an individual to have the freedom to Choose Love in any instant, he must have Free Will. When humans live in communities, some form of Governmental system is necessary. Otherwise, anarchy and chaos and despair would result. Without an empowered authority to create and impose rules of conduct, mayhem would result. Only the most powerful would rise to the top and they would oppress any with lesser power.

Here is the problem to be solved. If a Government is essential in order to maintain peace, it must invoke laws that limit the conduct of its citizens. But if that power is too overbearing, Free Will can be denied.

Surely you and I are blessed to live in a country whose Government grants us Liberty, the freedom to exercise our Free Will, when it comes to Right Principles and Right Conduct. If ever you find yourself struggling under the restrictive thumb of an oppressive Government, it is your spiritual duty to break those bonds, and escape.

Now, here is an absolute truth that you must take to heart. From the beginning, God set aside an entire continent for the future, exclusive use of Democracy. This nation, America, was to be the incubator of Democracy, a laboratory for the greatest self-governance experiment in world history. It was preordained that, at the appropriate time, God guided the discovery, colonization, and governance of America.

To be sure, America was Divinely ordained, and its Representative Democracy format was likewise Divinely commissioned. America’s citizens – The People – have a sacred duty to sustain America, because America is to be a model for all Humanity as to how a democracy works.

We, The People, of the United States are custodians and stewards of the Sacred American Model. Through this Model, we show the world not just how democracy works, but more importantly why.

It is known that humans will always achieve more through synergy than in isolation. Similarly, a nation can accomplish what an individual cannot. But America is not a nation whose Government is separate from its citizens. In America, we, The People, are the Government. We set our country’s policies. We just do so through those we elect to represent us.

Know this, my friends: Our nation’s policies all reflect us individually. They are one and the same in God’s eyes. We have a moral, ethical, and spiritual obligation to weigh in on policies enacted in our name. There is no sunlight between what America, as a country, does and what God holds its citizens individually accountable for.

Be clear on this! You have a solemn duty to do everything in your power to bring about Right Principles and Right Conduct by your Government – which is YOU, The People. Logically, then, we must start by selecting representatives who reflect Right Principles and Right Conduct. We may not be able to ask them if they abide by the Ten Graces, but we can certainly examine their Speech and their Behaviors, to ferret out their Thoughts. Paying close attention, we can ascertain their Principles, sometimes despite their words to the contrary.

We must oppose any systems of power that allow one group to wield dominance over another, not authorized by The People. This would include political action committees, special interest groups, or other groups who use their immense wealth to gain greater power at the expense, and to the detriment, of those less fortunate.

In America, a level playing field is essential. Anything that favors one group over another defies the very Equality we swear to. Practices like congressional redistricting, manipulation of voting systems, and such, are anathema to God’s Will.

The word Humanity has several meanings, but one definition speaks to the value of Life itself. ‘Oh, the Humanity!’ was the broadcast reporter’s cry as the Hindenburg exploded into flames over a New Jersey tarmac. Let us never lose our Humanity. Let us never lose our capacity to feel compassion, for if ever we become numb to the plight of others, we have lost ourselves for sure.

When conditions are so dire that the forsaken would give up all their worldly possessions just to have a chance at a better life in America, or wherever they seek refuge, are they not owed our full compassion? Right Principles and Right Conduct demand that we welcome and embrace them.

We mustn’t turn our brother away. Ever! And how do we recognize our brothers? John Lennon reminds us that they are ‘everyone you meet.’

Remember this: We are all members of communities that have ambitions greater than our own. Our first community was the family we were born into. Honoring our father and mother means appreciating our bloodline, our lineage – from our ancestors to our own progeny.

And finally, in any other communal group in which we coexist, we must always respect the feelings of others and treat them as we would wish to be treated. So, for example, if a particular word that I use offends someone else, I demonstrate Right Speech by refraining from using that word. To do otherwise, or worse – to ridicule them for being too thin-skinned – is shameful, and not in accordance with Right Principles or Right Conduct.

5th Grace Belief Statements